While Nancy Sinatra sang “these boots are made for walking,” it’s unlikely that boots will be the footwear of choice for the Walk Across Texas! program.

Participating teams will be walking 830 miles – about the same distance from Longview to El Paso, hence the name Walk Across Texas! This healthy living program begins Feb. 18 and ends on April 14.

Sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the free, eight-week program is open to all ages.

The walking program breaks down to about 13 miles per week, per person on the eight-member teams.

“Some on the team may walk more, and some may walk less,” explained Brianne Langdon, County Extension Agent – Family & Consumer Sciences for Hood and Somervell counties. “The goal is to walk a cumulative team total of 830 miles, the distance from Longview to El Paso.”

People can include other activities like swimming, playing racquetball or an exercise class.

GET A MOVE ON

“What we really want people to know with this program is that you don’t have to be a triathlete or marathon runner to start living a healthy lifestyle,” Langdon said.

“It starts by simply getting off your couch and going for a walk. You can do it on your lunch break, with your family after dinner, in the morning before work … whenever!

“It’s about creating a healthy habit. Over a long period of time, it could significantly lower your risk for health complications and improve your quality of life.”

And it all starts by just walking 30 minutes a day.

Members of each team compile their mileage for the week and report it to the team captain. Teams have a friendly competition to see who can log the most miles walking, jogging or biking. Other options could include dancing, aerobics or riding a stationary bike.

“Everyone’s miles are recorded on a Texas map posted in a public place, so everyone can see your progress,” Langdon noted. Your progress can also be tracked online at www.walkacrosstexas.tamu.edu.

The program could become a healthy living initiative in the work place.

“I can calculate the economic impact for your organization,” explained Langdon. “We can also customize this program for your work site, office building, or school campus if you are interested.”

CREATE A TEAM BY FEB. 15

Anyone that is interested in creating a team, joining an existing team, or hosting this program at your work site can call Brianne Langdon, Family & Consumer Science Extension agent, at 817-579-3280, or email [email protected]